Named in recognition of the of mountainous Utah region that plays host to the annual Moab Easter Jeep Safari, the newest addition to the Wrangler lineup aims to bridge the gap between Rubicon ruggedness and Sahara style. The Moab is available in either two-door Wrangler or four-door Wrangler Unlimited guise. Just so onlookers are aware of the Moab’s uniqueness, distinguishing exterior features include steel bumpers front and rear, rock sliders on the sills, and a sculpted hood. Color choice is limited to black, white, and a quartet of cheekily named Jeep signature hues: Gecko, Dozer, Crush, and Rock Lobster; fender flares come only in matte black.

Power is produced by the same 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 that motivates the rest of the Wrangler roster; a limited-slip rear differential is standard (an option on Sport and Sahara models), and a locking unit is optional. Neither a front locker nor the Rubicon’s ultra-low 4:1 transfer case are available; Moab drivers will have to make do with the Wrangler’s standard 2.72:1 unit. Goodyear SilentArmor tires (already in use on Wranglers sold in Mexico and international markets) wrap around black-painted versions of the same wheels found on the 2013 Rubicon.

A host of new features available across the entire 2013 Wrangler lineup also apply to the Moab: newly contoured seats and trim, a lever for one-handed rear-seat folding (previously a two-handed operation), ambient cabin lighting, and the triumphant return of a second windshield washer nozzle. Optional equipment includes a soft canvas top—cut from the same cloth as the Chrysler 200 Convertible’s—and a soft-top lift assist that reduces by half the effort required to raise the roof (Jeep people are party people) assembly.